The British public is ideologically committed to nationalisation March 13, 2015 The British public is surprisingly ideological when it comes to who runs public services, it turns out. The British may have developed a reputation for pragmatism over political doctrine as compared with continental Europe, but new polling from YouGov suggests the opposite is, in fact, the case. The argument of public versus private provision of [...]
General Election 2015: Ed Miliband promises to cut energy prices before winter returns March 13, 2015 Labour will give Ofgem the power to enforce energy price reductions if it wins the general election. Ed Milliband will promise today that his party will cut energy bills by up to 10 per cent by the end of the year, and will empower Ofgem, the energy sector regulator, to review prices by the end [...]
Britons who let or sold second homes in France to be paid back millions of pounds following EU court ruling March 12, 2015 British people who own property in France will be eligible for reimbursement of money paid out as taxes following the introduction of a “social charge” by French President Francois Hollande in 2012. The charge meant that around 200,000 non-resident Britons who sold or let second homes in France had to pay an extra 15.5 per [...]
The UK is backing China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Washington isn’t happy about it March 12, 2015 Britain has become a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the US is far from impressed. The financial institution poses a threat to western rivals such as the World Bank, and the White House has accused the UK of “constant accommodation” of China according to the FT. The bank was set [...]
General Election 2015: Unemployment is driving some young voters from the Conservatives to Labour March 12, 2015 Some young people who voted for the Conservatives in the last general election are choosing to vote Labour this time, according to Reuters. The news agency spoke to a sample of first-time voters in 2010, and tracked them down again this month to find out how their opinions had changed in the run up to [...]
Tory chair Grant Shapps hints at Budget cut in alcohol duty March 11, 2015 Tory party chairman Grant Shapps has given a strong indication that there will be an alcohol duty cut on spirits in next week’s crucial pre-election Budget. Shapps, who also has some ministerial responsibility for trade, commented yesterday on the prospect of an alcohol rates cut: “You always have hope when there’s a Budget.Wait and see.” A [...]
Greek-German relations hit by Second World War reparation demands March 11, 2015 Greece’s relationship with Germany soured dramatically yesterday as the country’s justice minister raised the prospect of seizing German assets as reparations for the damage done by the Nazis in the Second World War. The two countries are at loggerheads over the renegotiation of Greece’s international bailout, and the chances of a successful resolution of the [...]
Cigarette plain packaging could leave UK government with £11bn legal bill March 11, 2015 Tobacco giants last night warned that the government could be landed with a huge legal bill, after plain packaging for cigarettes came a step closer yesterday with a vote in parliament backing the move. British American Tobacco (BAT) confirmed that if the House of Lords gives its final approval to the proposals next week, it [...]
Lord Mandelson doubts Labour can win the General Election March 11, 2015 The man who helped rebrand the Labour party and turn it into an election winning machine doubts his party can secure a majority at this year's General Election. Lord Peter Mandelson told the Retail Week conference: There will almost certainly be a stalemate hung Parliament in two months' time. Given the state of the polls, [...]
General Election 2015: Third of young people say social media will influence their vote March 11, 2015 There is a strong tradition of British elections adopting some of the more cutting edge political trends seen in the US. Labour and the Tories have both hired top political strategists from the Obama team to add a little stardust to the campaigns. Social media is also in the political parties' sights and rightly so, [...]